An eleven-year-old girl died accidentally from strangulation by a garden swingrop while making a video call with her friends. Today’s inquest was heard.
Grace Patricia Hamnet from Widnes in Cheshire was ‘playing’ in her garden while she made a group call to school friends. On May 23, tragedy struck her home.
Her mother found her and asked her to watch out for her McDonald’s delivery. Grace tragically died five days later at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool.
Today’s Warrington Coroner’s Court inquest into Grace’s murder heard her mother’s screaming alert the neighbor who ran over to assist, and then performed CPR on Grace.
Grace Patricia Hamnet was an 11-year old schoolgirl who accidentally killed herself with a garden swingrop while making a video call. The inquest is now open. Pictured: Tedder Square, Widnes (Chery) Emergency services
Grace was in cardiac arrest when the ambulance arrived at her home on Tedder Square in Widnes and attempts to resuscitate her continued during the journey to Whiston Hospital.
She was finally stabilized and she remained “deeply unconscious” before being transferred from Alder Hey, Liverpool.
Dr Carla Thomas, pediatric intensive care consultant, stated in written testimony that Grace felt well the morning of May 23.
“She was last seen in her garden while she was on video chat with friends.
Later, her mum found her unconscious in the swing.
Grace received a CT-scan when she arrived at Alder Hey. This revealed that Grace had suffered from a brain injury due to the loss of blood supply.
Inquest found that Grace suffered a ‘devastating’ brain injury. A subsequent MRI scan was performed, and neurosurgeons concluded that nothing could be done.
Grace was born in Warrington and died May 28.
At the hearing, Detective Inspector Robert Lees of Cheshire Constabulary gave written evidence.
She had just been in a group chat, with some of her friends from school. Grace had shown them the rope, and they said that Grace could put their necks through it and hang themselves. In a humorous way, she said it.
Grace previously stated this via WhatsApp.
Grace told her friends this and her phone was pointed to the sky. Grace did not receive any further communications from Grace, according to the Inquest.
She was scared by her friends and they notified their parents, who then contacted relevant authorities.
DI Lees stated that Grace’s mother had said she would never allow her to self-harm, and Grace was happy.
The hearing took place after she had just received a positive school report.
An investigation by Cheshire Constabulary found no suspicious circumstances or involvement of Grace in Grace’s death.
DI Lees said that Grace had been free from any concerns.
Heath Westerman was appointed assistant coroner and accepted as the medical cause of Death hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury caused by strangulation.
Grace died accidentally, he said.
He stated, “My heart goes out Grace’s parents. In particular to her mom for the terrible way she had found her daughter in distress.”